Wolf Creek Race Management

Grove City, PA – The inaugural Strides for Students 5k and Club Challenge will take place on Sunday, August 12th at 8:00 AM at the Grove City Premium Outlets. All ability levels of runners and walkers are welcome to participate. All participants will receive discounts on shopping at the Outlets after the race. In addition, there will be a vendor village featuring TeAmo Organic Peruvian Tea, Track Coasters, and screenings by Wise Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine. There will also be a DJ and a prize raffle. Refreshments will be provided. This race supports the Simon Youth Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps at-risk teens graduate from high school. Come out for a morning of fun and fitness and support a great cause!

The course is flat and fast, consisting of 2 loops around the Grove City Premium Outlets and one loop around the back parking lot. The inside lane is closed to traffic. The outlets do not open until 10:00 AM so the traffic will be minimal. 

 

In order for your club team to score, you must have 4-6 runners. Only the top 4 runners will be factored into the team scoring. Team scoring will follow traditional cross country style scoring. All runners that are not a member of a team will be excluded from the team scoring. Your club may enter A, B, and C teams.

The top men’s and women’s club team will win $100 and the top male and female finishers will receive $75 each. Current youth, high school, or collegiate runners will not be eligible for prize money in order to maintain eligibility. Winning teams and individual winners will also receive free entry to next year’s event. Special trophies will be given to the winning teams. Custom medals will be given to the top 3 Overall Male and Female Finishers, plus the top 3 in each of the following age categories: 12 & Under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 & Over. 

You can register online at wolfcreektrackclub.com or runsignup.com. Race day registration will be open from 6:30-7:45 am. The race-day fee is $30 ($25 for ages 12 & Under and 60 & Over).

 

 

 

Van Wert, OH – Wolf Creek Track Club (WCTC) defeated a talented field of top Mid-Western clubs at the Van Wert 4 Mile Post Collegiate Border Battle on Saturday night! This is WCTC’s first team Championship since they won the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay in May and the club’s 6th team title in its three year history.

James Ngandu, last year’s NCAA DII XC and 10,000 meter Champion, completed the course in a time of 18:06, an average pace of 4:31 per mile. Kiprop Mutai claimed 2nd overall in 18:30, while Team Ohio’s Aiman Scullion placed 3rd overall in 18:44. Playmakers’ Mitchell Klingler took 4th overall in 19:01, while Wolf Creek Track Club’s Juris Silenieks (North Hills HS/Syracuse) rounded out the top 5 in a time of 19:12. Juris now holds the WCTC record in the 4 Mile.

Despite both Playmakers’ and Team Ohio’s top runner placing ahead of WCTC’s top runner, WCTC was able to win with a tight pack. In addition to Juris, WCTC put three more runners in the top 10 overall including Daniel Jaskowak (Grove City HS/ Virginia Tech) who took 7th overall in 19:22, Nick Edinger (Mars HS/Geneva College) placed 8th in 19:52 , and Ryan Thomspon (Slippery Rock HS/ SRU) claimed 10th in 20:09, while Theo Reynolds (Warrior Run HS/ SRU) rounded out the team with a 16th place finish in a time of 20:43. This was a terrific performance by WCTC. 

For full Van Wert Results: https://wolfcreektrackclub.com/van-wert-4-mile/

It was an active weekend for Wolf Creek Track Club (WCTC) runners in local competitions. On Saturday morning, club members Nick Edinger, Theo Reynolds, and Dan Spaulding competed at the 43^rd Annual Butler Road Race. The race started at 9:00 AM by the Butler County Courthouse in downtown Butler. The premier event, the 5 mile race, features a course that consists of rolling hills. Edinger won the 5 mile race for third consecutive year and fourth time overall in his career. Edinger who ran 26:26 (5:17/mile), was followed by Theo Reynolds who posted a time of 26:48 (5:22/mile). Spaulding took 3^rd overall in 27:22 (5:28). This was the first time WCTC has had runners go 1-2-3 in any race. Edinger’s time set the 5 mile road race record for the club. In total 147 participants finished the 5 mile race. Tina Seech, 56, took home the women’s 5 mile title in an impressive time of 33:14 (6:39/mile).

After an impressive club showing on Saturday, Brandon Wise followed that up on Sunday by winning the 2018 USATF Three Rivers Association Track & Field 5k Championship hosted by Slippery Rock University. This is Wise’s first career individual USATF title. He has previously placed 3rd in the 2016 USATF TRA Cross Country Championships, and 4th in the 2017 edition of that race.

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Check out our upcoming club race:

Strides For Students 5k

Pittsburgh, PA

Today the Pittsburgh Marathon kicked off at 7:05am. At the start of the race, the temperature was hovering in the upper 50s with overcast skies. The weather remained pretty consistent throughout the race and the rain held off making for near perfect race conditions.

Ten Wolf Creek Track Club (WCTC) runners participated in the day’s festivities, however, the standout performance of the day came from Nick Edinger. Edinger claimed 8th place overall in the marathon with a career best time of 2:18:32 (5:18/mile). Edinger’s time qualifies him for the 2020 USATF Olympic Trials in Atlanta. This is the first time in Edinger’s career that he has qualified for the Olympic Trials. Pittsburgh is widely regarded as one of the most challenging major city marathon courses among runners, making Edinger’s accomplishment even more impressive. Nick Edinger’s time also set a new WCTC record in the marathon. To put into perspective how impressive Edinger’s time is, he ran 8 minutes and 6 seconds faster than our winning relay team which consisted of four competitive runners. This race was Edinger’s 2nd marathon in 2018. His first was another outstanding performance at the NYC Armory Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge where he placed 2nd overall in 2:22:06.

The Wolf Creek Track Club team consisting of Theo Reynolds, Ryan Budnik, Dan Spaulding, and Andrew Mascio claimed the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay title for the 2nd time in 3 years. The relay had to overcome an unexpected injury to Moses Greenspan in the days leading up to the race. Since Greenspan was unfortunately unable to run the lead-off leg as was originally planned, Theo Reynolds was forced to double, running the first two legs. Theo ran a total of 9.1 miles and posted a solid time to keep the team in it despite racing two runners from the other competitive relay teams since they had full relay teams of 5 members. When Reynolds handed off to Budnik at the second relay exchange zone, the team was in 3rd place trailing the 709ers and SuperSmashGang. Budnik was able to catch both of those teams during his leg and by the time he handed off to Dan Spaulding, the WCTC team was in first place by about 45 seconds.

Spaulding, a former all-time great at Grove City College, extended the lead during his 6.5 mile leg and provided Andrew Mascio with a 69 second lead heading into the final 4.2 miles to the finish. Two miles into his leg, Mascio was challenged by the 709ers team. A runner from the 709ers had closed the 69 second gap in a mere two miles by taking advantage of the downhills on the final leg. Mascio and the 709ers runner ran side-by-side for the next 2 kilometers until Mascio was able to pull away in the last mile running 4:58 to seal the victory by 21 seconds over the 709ers. The 709ers runner averaged an impressive 5:10 per mile on his closing leg, while Mascio averaged 5:21 per mile.

The WCTC team’s overall finishing time was 2:26:38 (5:36/mile). That time is a new club record for the marathon relay surpassing last year’s club record time of 2:28:45 by 2 minutes and 7 seconds, while doing so with only 4 runners.  The 709ers finished in 2:26:59 (5:37/mile) good for 2nd overall, while the SuperSmashGang placed 3rd in a time of 2:39:07 (6:05/mile). In total, 965 teams competed in this year’s marathon relay.

The relay victory marks the club’s 5th team title in its 3-year history. The other titles include the 2017 St. Barnabas 5k Team Challenge, 2016 USATF TRA Cross Country Championships, 2016 Pittsburgh Marathon Relay, and the 2016 St. Barnabas 5k Team Challenge.  All-time, the club has won 5 of the 7 total team competitions it has raced in.

Other great club performances on the day included Sean McDonnell placing 11th overall out of 12,500+ competitors in the non-elite half marathon field with a career best time of 1:16:03 (5:49/mile). Sean’s time is good for second best in Wolf Creek Track Club history trailing only Theo Reynold’s time of 1:13:30 from the Cook Forest Half Marathon. Rachel Martin also ran the half in a career best time of 1:31:09. Martin’s time set a new club record for the half marathon and placed her as the 27th overall female finisher out of 7,400+. Additionally, club member Travis Myers-Arrigoni finished the marathon in 2:46:53 (6:23/mile) qualifying him for the 2019 Boston Marathon. Myers-Arrigoni finished 32nd overall. Club members Brandon Wise and Hannah Steele both competed in the half marathon as well. Wise finished in 50th place in 1:23:50, while Steele finished in a time of 1:45:23.

Fikadu Girma Teferi claimed the men’s marathon crown in a time of 2:13:47, while Sydney Devore took the women’s title in 2:32:38. Chris Derrick claimed the USATF Half Marathon Championship crown in a time of 1:02:37 just edging out Parker Stinson who ran 1:02:38. Aliphine Tuliamuk claimed the women’s title in 1:10:04.

The Wolf Creek Track Club would also like to congratulate all the weekend warriors and first time half and full marathoners who ran at this year’s event. Running is truly one of the most unique sports in the world where the top elites toe the same start line as everyday runners. It was great to see another fantastic Pittsburgh Marathon to keep growing and promoting the sport of running in the region. The 11th Annual Pittsburgh Marathon is set for Sunday, May 5th of next year.

Written by: Dan Spaulding

Mars, PA 

We are less than one week away from one of the biggest annual events in Western Pennsylvania distance running – the 2018 Pittsburgh Marathon and Half Marathon.  On Sunday, May 6^th over 15,000 runners will converge on Liberty Avenue to partake in the biggest event on the Pittsburgh running calendar. Runners from all walks of life will arrive seeking to achieve a wide range of goals. Some will come seeking a new personal best. Others will come hoping to conquer the distance by simply finishing. Some will use running as an opportunity to fundraise or draw attention to an important cause. And still others will come to run with friends and to enjoy the festive environment in the city. Only a small handful of truly elite runners have the ability to contend for the win. Nick Edinger, representing the Wolf Creek Track Club, is one of these runners!

Since the Pittsburgh Marathon returned in 2009, an American has won the Men’s race only once (Jeff Eggleston in 2011). In eight of the nine other years the winner of the men’s race has hailed from either Kenya or Ethiopia; two countries regarded as distance running powerhouses. Edinger, of Mars, PA, hopes to change all of that by becoming the first local runner to take first overall in the men’s marathon. Additionally, he hopes to run faster than 2 hours and 19 minutes, the Olympic “B” standard, which would qualify him for the 2020 Olympic Trials in Atlanta, GA. When asked about his plan heading into the race, Nick said, “My main focus for this race is placing as high as I can. I will be shooting for the Olympic Trials standard, but Pittsburgh is a tough course so my main focus will be on competing against the other elites in the race. I also know that if I focus on racing, and place where I think I can, a fast time will probably come along with that.”

However, attempting to win a race and compete in a sport traditionally dominated by East African competitors is not what makes Edinger’s story unique. In fact, in recent years Americans have fared progressively better against their counterparts around the world, winning numerous medals at World Championships and Olympic Games as well as performing well at major marathons. However, the American runners that are competitive on the large stage typically live and train in distance running Meccas such as Eugene (Oregon), Flagstaff (Arizona), Park City (Utah), and Boulder (Colorado). These American elites typically attended major Division I universities that are powerhouses in cross country and track and field (such as Oregon, Colorado, and Stanford). Additionally (and most-importantly), most distance runners competitive on the big stage are full-time professionals who consider running their primary vocation.  By contrast, Nick lives in the small town of Mars, PA; certainly not a “distance running Mecca.” He was not a sought after high school recruit and never ran under 10 minutes for the 3200 at Mars Area High School. Edinger attended a local Division III University (Geneva College) where under the guidance of Coach Brian Yowler he made rapid improvements as he rewrote the College’s track and cross-country record books. Finally, despite being one of the top marathon runners in the North Eastern United States, running is not his primary vocation. As Nick prepares to complete his Master’s degree in Counseling, he recently began work as a therapist at a drug and alcohol rehab facility.

So how does Nick compete with his competitors who have so many perceived advantages? The answer may seem simple (but it isn’t): old fashioned hard work over a prolonged period of time.  Starting in 2011 Edinger has consistently logged in excess of 100 miles per week in training. In 2017, Nick ran almost 6,000 miles (over 15 miles per day). A typical week consisted of between 100 and 120 miles with some weeks were as high as 180 miles. Consistently grinding through high mileage weeks under difficult conditions has made Nick stronger mentally and physically. So far in 2018 Edinger has logged approximately 2,000 miles in preparation for the Pittsburgh Marathon. Included in these miles are a twenty-mile long run at 6-minute mile pace in -17 degrees F wind-chill on January 6^th at North Park in Pittsburgh, individual days where he ran as much as 35 miles a day, an attempt at the indoor world record in the marathon at the Armory (NYC) in March (Nick got second), a 25 mile “tempo” runs at 5:40 pace, and long runs as far as 28 miles in training. Nick’s miles were frequently logged at 6 AM at North Park (wearing a headlamp since it was dark), or along the lonely, hilly country roads surrounding Mars, PA. A blue-collar mentality, extreme drive, and uncommon hard work have lifted Edinger’s career to heights few imagined were possible. “My biggest motivator is the compulsion to find out the limits God has given me,” Edinger says, “I want to look back on my career in 10 years and know that I gave everything I had.”

At the end of 2017 Nick entered into a partnership with the Wolf Creek Track Club. A primary aspect of the Wolf Creek Track Club’s mission is to advance distance running in all of Western Pennsylvania. Edinger shares this goal, and he hopes his performance and accomplishments can inspire others local runners to believe that anything is possible and to test their limits. “When the Wolf Creek Track Club came to me regarding a possible sponsorship opportunity, the thing I was most excited about was that we shared the same vision of helping improve distance running in Western Pennsylvania.“ Nick says, “Hopefully I can set an example for other local runners that Western Pennsylvania can be a great place to train and find your limits in this sport.” In a sport that encourages success through selfishness, Nick’s group mentality is a breath of fresh air. Nick not only seeks personal success, but desires to lift up those around him.

On May 6^th, Nick aims for what would be the biggest achievement of his running career to date: qualification for the 2020 Olympic Marathon trials and victory in his hometown race. Thousands of miles in Pittsburgh’s arduous weather and terrain have carried him to the line in the best shape of his life. Only 26.2 more miles to go.

New York City – Nick Edinger competed in the Armory NYC Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge this afternoon. The race, which featured an elite field from across the country, started around 12:20 PM. Competitors had to run a daunting 211 laps around the 200m, banked Armory track. At roughly the one hour mark in the race, the competitors had to make a tight 90 degree turn at the finish line to switch directions.

Introductions complete and they’re off at the Armory Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge! #WCTC pic.twitter.com/8x4VxvdOz3

— Wolf Creek Race Mgmt (@WolfCreekTC) March 17, 2018

There was a tight pack through the first 20 kilometers of the race, but around the 25k mark Malcolm Richards of San Francisco separated from the pack and broke the race open. Richards continued to pull away from the field and ultimately ended taking the Armory NYC Indoor Marathon crown in a new world record time of 2:19:01.

Edinger held strong in 2nd place for a long time, but had a few rough patches during the race where he fell to 4th and even 5th at times. Edinger, however, was able to battle through the difficult moments and claimed 2nd place in a time of 2:22:06. Edinger’s time was only 18 seconds off tying the previous world record time that was set by Chris Zablocki. Finishing 12 seconds behind Edinger in 3rd place, was Boston Athletic Association’s Brian Harvey in a time of 2:22:18. Eric Blake finished in 4th place in a time of 2:22:35. Former world record holder in the indoor marathon and last year’s event champion, Chris Zablocki, finished 5th in 2:29:13.

Richards will take home $7,000 in prize money, Edinger $2,000, and Harvey $1,000.

Lindsey Scherf claimed the women’s title in a new world record time of 2:40:55 and Caitriona Jennings from Dublin, Ireland finished 2nd in 2:53:11.

All of us at the Wolf Creek Track Club would like to congratulate Nick on a fantastic 2nd place finish against a very strong field of competitors.

 

New York City – Wolf Creek Track Club member, Nick Edinger, of Mars, PA is competing in the Armory NYC Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge hosted by New York Road Runners tomorrow (March 17, 2018) at 12:00 PM Eastern Time at the Armory Track in Manhattan. The race will consist of 211 laps around the banked 200-meter track. Five men will attempt to set a new world record at this event for the 3rd year in a row. The current indoor marathon world record of 2:21:48 belongs to Chris Zablocki of Essex, CT.  Zablocki is one of the five runners competing tomorrow. Nick has run 2:20:32 outdoors so he should certainly be in contention with a good race.  New York Road Runners is offering prize money for tomorrow’s top finishers. The winner will receive a check for $3,000 and an additional $4,000 if he breaks the world record. The second place finisher will receive $2,000 and another $1,000 if he also breaks the previous world record.  The third place runner will receive $1,000. Good Luck Nick!

The race will be Live Streamed.

 

 

* Photo by JL Photography & Design